RNA demethylase Alkbh5 is widely expressed in neurons and decreased during brain development

Abstract

N6-methyladenosine (m6A) RNA methylation is one of the most abundant internal modifications on mRNAs and highly enriched within the brain. The demethylation of m6A is regulated by demethylases including fat-mass and obesity-associated protein (FTO) and AlkB homolog 5 (Alkbh5). FTO has been shown to play an important role in the brain, but little is known about the expression pattern and role of Alkbh5. Here, we investigated the expression profile of Alkbh5 in the developing mouse brain and its localization in the adult mouse brain. The results showed that Alkbh5 was widely detected throughout the mouse brain, with relatively high levels observed in the cerebellum and olfactory bulb of the adult mouse brain. Furthermore, Alkbh5 is mainly co-localized with neuronal marker NeuN, suggesting that it is primarily expressed in the neurons. Specifically, Alkbh5 could be found primarily in the nucleus of mouse neurons and cell lines. In addition, Alkbh5 protein decreased dramatically during brain development. Our findings detail the expression pattern and subcellular localization of Alkbh5 in the mouse brain. These results provide a neurobiological basis for the participation of Alkbh5 in the regulation of various brain functions, which might shed new light on further functional analysis of Alkbh5 and m6A in the central nervous system (CNS).

Keywords: Alkbh5; Brain development; RNA methylation; m6A.